Remembering Father Charles Szivos

We have lost one of our own family, the family of St. Theresa's Parish, our dear Father Charles Szivos who went home to God on September 5. Perhaps the greatest compliment that could be made of Father Charles was this: he was here for less than two years, but it seemed that he was here so many years more. One of the greatest blessings of my life was that, after his ordination on May 15, 1999, he was assigned to St. Helena Parish where Father Joseph, Father Gomez and I worked with him for five wonderful years. After that he worked in other parishes and in St. Joseph's Seminary, but he always wanted to come back to a parish, for he always considered himself to be a simple parish priest. I am so grateful that His Eminence Cardinal Dolan gave him to us at St. Theresa Parish for almost two wonderful years. From the first day he came here, he was home, he was family. His evident joy in being a priest spoke volumes. How quickly he became involved in our many parish activities, of course, his celebration of the Mass and his beautiful homilies; his love for our school children and the children in our CCD Program; his love for our seniors who were touched by his youthful spirit; and simply his happiness in being here with us. At this time when the priesthood has suffered from so much negativity, how blessed we were to have Father Charles, the "genuine article" of what a priest should be.

Father Charles always had a great devotion to St. Theresa and how happy he was to be in a parish named in her honor. When she was leaving this life she said "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth." We have no doubt that Father Charles will spend his heaven doing good on earth for all of us.